--- title: "Alaska Airman who died on duty identified, loaded weapons on F-22s" description: "The Air Force said Staff Sgt. Charles A. Crumlett died from workplace injuries at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska last week." date: "2024-03-18" modified: "2024-03-18" authors: - name: "Patty Nieberg" job_title: "Senior Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/patty-nieberg/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/alaska-airman-died-bombs/" categories: - "Air Force" - "Around the World" - "Military Branches" - "News" - "United States" tags: - "death" - "killed" --- # Alaska Airman who died on duty identified, loaded weapons on F-22s ![]() *An airman who died from workplace injuries at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska last week was identified as Staff Sgt. Charles A. Crumlett, officials said Monday. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kenneth Boyton)* An Air Force munitions and weapons specialist died from [injuries suffered while on duty]() at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Air Force officials said Monday. Staff Sgt. Charles A. Crumlett, 25, of Streamwood, Illinois, was weapons lead crew chief with the 90th Fighter Generation Squadron when he died “in the line of duty” March 15. As a weapons load crew chief, Crumlett was responsible for a team trained to load the wide range of weapons on the squadron’s F-22 Raptors. He was pronounced dead after a mishap at his workplace around noon Friday. Officials did not provide details of his death but said that the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigation was investigating. Crumlett served as a weapons load crew chief for six years, working on F-15 Strike Eagles, A-10 Warthogs and F-22 Raptors. “Today, the Dicemen mourn the loss of one of our own,” said Lt. Col. Charles Bayne, 90th FGS commander. “Sgt. Crumlett’s drive and willingness to help his fellow maintainers is a loss for the entire maintenance community. Though he was only with us a short time, Charlie will always be a Diceman. We send our thoughts and prayers to his family, friends, and the entire maintenance community.” [Subscribe to Task & Purpose]() today. Get the latest military news and culture in your inbox daily. Crumlett joined the Air Force in 2016 and trained as a weapons load crew member at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. In 2017, he reported to his first duty station at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina and arrived at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, a little over a month ago. “It’s such a tragedy to lose anyone so young and full of promise,” said Col. Christopher Tooman, 3rd Maintenance Group commander. “Charlie’s dedication and support to his fellow maintainers will be deeply missed. We send our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and all the Airmen whose lives Charlie touched.” Crumlett earned two Air and Space Commendation Medals and one Air Force Achievement Medal. The 3rd Wing flies F-22s, C-17s and E-3 AWACS planes within 11th Air Force from two bases in Alaska. ## The latest on Task & Purpose - [**Navy fires captain**]() **of USS Ohio guided missile submarine** - **Army major honors fallen soldiers with** [**Native eagle feathers**]() **in hair** - **Marines** [**fire 2 commanders**]() **at School of Infantry-West** - **Marines may revamp pistol training to require** [**more lethal shots**]() - **Admiral McRaven, who oversaw bin Laden raid, gets** [**$50 million**]() **from Jeff Bezos** ## Author Patty is a senior reporter for Task & Purpose. She's reported on the military for six years, embedding with the National Guard during a hurricane and covering Guantanamo Bay legal proceedings for an alleged al Qaeda commander. Her previous bylines can be found at the *Associated Press*, *Bloomberg Government*, *Washington Post*, *The New York Times*, and *ABC*. You can reach Patty by email at [Patty.Nieberg@taskandpurpose.com](). ### Author social links [Twitter]() [LinkedIn]()